The Texas Rangers used a trio of home runs to win their third game of the best-of-seven Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series (WS-7).
Texas defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-7 in Game 4 of the WS at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., on Monday (June 1).
Texas improved to 3-1 in the series and is one win away from its first WS title.
Game 5, which could be the final game of the WS, will be played at 9:03 a.m. on Feb. 2 at the same location.
Texas also extended its postseason road winning streak to 10 games.
Texas has won every visiting game since April 4 against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the wild-card decider. That’s the longest streak in MLB history.
Texas also tied the record for most consecutive team home runs in a single postseason game (15).
Leading up to the game, the mood was somber for Texas.
Veteran starting pitcher Max Scherzer and slugger Adolis Garcia were both out with injuries.
Garcia, in particular, had been the centerpiece of this year’s postseason, batting .323 with eight home runs and 22 RBIs in 15 games.
In Game 3, Garcia injured his side muscle and was diagnosed as no longer able to play and was removed from the roster.
Even without their go-to guy, the Texas lineup was still solid and strong.
Texas bombed the Arizona mound in the top of the second inning with the score tied at 0-0.
It started with a leadoff double to center field by Josh Jung.
The next two batters were retired on a strikeout and a walk, but Arizona reliever Miguel Castro threw a wild pitch that allowed Chung to score from third base.
Leandro Taveras then walked and Travis Jankowski singled up the middle to put runners on first and second again.
The next batter, Marcus Simeon, exploded a three-run homer to left field to make it 3-0.
The offense didn’t stop there. Arizona brought in its third pitcher, Kyle Nelson, but with one out, Corey Seager blasted a two-run home run to center field to make it 5-0.
The Texas offense exploded in the third.
Once again, it was Chung who got things going. He led off the inning with a single to left.
Nathaniel Law followed with a single up the middle, and Jonah Heim reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases.
Texas didn’t miss the opportunity. Jankowski exploded a two-run double to right-center field to make it 7-0.
With runners on second and third, Simeon blasted a three-run homer to center field to put the game out of reach.
Texas gave up a run in the bottom of the fourth off starter Andrew Heaney, but it didn’t change the course of the game.
Dane Dunning, a right-handed pitcher of Korean descent, came in for Texas’ second pitcher in the sixth and pitched a scoreless inning.
Texas took a 10-1 lead in the top of the eighth inning when Heim hit a solo home run to right field.
Arizona rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth, including a three-run homer by Lowordes Gurriel Jr. but it wasn’t enough to put the game out of reach.
Texas’ No. 1 hitter, Simeon, went 5-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs, while No. 2 hitter Seager was also hot, going 5-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs.
Seager, in particular, has now hit six home runs in the postseason this year, including three in the WS. 슬롯게이밍